Insurance for medical travel: Introduction

You may be one of the ever-increasing number of people considering going overseas for dental, cosmetic or medical treatment. You have probably done some research on where to go.

You may have thought

" Does my insurance cover it? "

“ Can I get special insurance? “

“ What about travel insurance? “

With millions of people worldwide travelling overseas for health reasons, and seeking the best travel insurance, much has been written about the subject on the internet, magazines and newspapers.

Most of what has been said or written about insurance and overseas treatment is either misleading, wrong or fails to understand the relationship between insurance and overseas treatment. Even insurance trade bodies and so-called experts who should know better, get it badly wrong. The main problem is that those that understand insurance do not understand how the overseas treatment business works, while those in the overseas treatment industry are not insurance experts. Some otherwise useful websites even mention insurers by name, and totally misunderstand what is on offer. Some providers who claim to offer insurance often have little idea about the limitations of their offerings.

The insurance industry has been very slow in coming to terms with the growing trend in medical tourism , and although products are being developed, very few are currently available

These sections apply to residents of the UK, and although much applies equally to other countries, there can be local variations.